Café pleases Provençal pallette

Author: Kaity Potak

What happens when a Provençal chef with 30 years of gastronomic experience graduates from "La Colline" in Montpellier, France and moves to the United States? He ends up in a different Montpelier entirely - The New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, Vt, that is. Chef Robert Barral, a man who has opened restaurants and worn a toque, (the quintessential white chef's hat) in cities ranging from Montreal, Chicago and Boston, is just such a chef. Eventually settling in Brandon, Vt. Barral and his wife Line opened Café Provence. Working alongside a kitchen staff comprised of graduates and interns of the New England Culinary Institute (NECI), Barre and his wife seek to blend the Mediterranean cuisine of the South of France with the local flavor of the Vermont Fresh Network.

Upon entering the quaint restaurant, one is immediately greeted by the delicious scents of Robert's delicate entrées. Whiffs of bouillabaisse on saffron risotto with lobster and tarragon broth waft through the first step, followed by the aroma of caramelizing sugar on crème brûlée. The tantalizing waft of flavors makes the first impression, which, in turn, is enhanced by the friendly wait staff and pleasant atmosphere and furthered by the ample wine list.

Enjoying a glass of the Café Provence white label is a particularly good way to peruse the menu, which features everything from classic moules marinières to an intriguing pan-seared salmon-wrapped scallop dish served over squid ink pasta. Our party's excitement over the menu was slightly snuffed when the waiter announced that they were out of the escargots provençale, the corn and sweet potato chowder, and the lamb entrée - it was only 7:30 p.m. - but we did not suffer too much. Instead of the escargot appetizer, we enjoyed beautifully prepared salads with local chèvre and a crab cake appetizer with two sauces. Ultimately, our entrée decisions included the baked scrod with curried lentils and puréed sweet potatoes, which ended up being a great second choice, and that eerie squid ink pasta that was actually delicious.

At nine o'clock or so, the little restaurant, with its tiled walls, sunflowers, and café chairs began to buzz with customers. The music was turned up ever so slightly, wine corks popped open at the bar with greater frequency and our waiter ended up getting quite a bit of exercise. He jokingly made a plea to our kinder senses. "It's my first day, go easy on me!" he gushed as he ran past our table.

A woman came up behind him, rolled her eyes at him and laughed, "He's making that up, it's just busy this weekend." Our waiter smiled an "ohh, you caught me" kind of smile and introduced her to us as his wife. Café Provence has a welcoming ambience all on its own that is noticable the moment one walks, but knowing that the whole place is run by husband and wife teams and local students offers a charm that has nothing to do with sunflowers and tartes aux pommes.

When I go to a French restaurant, my personal litmus is the crème brûlée test. This simple French dessert has a way of making or breaking my decision. It is French dessert at its absolute best. The evening that I went to Café Provence, there were actually three flavors of crème brûlée on the dessert menu. Feeling in a fall spirit, we ordered the dessert sampler, which included the maple crème brûlée, a gingerbread roulade. Like all of the other desserts at Café Provence, as well as at their sister bakery just down the street, this had been prepared here, possibly by Robert himself.

Perhaps the desire to blend southern France and mid-Vermont went a step too far. The maple seemed to affect the consistency of the custard in a way that Julia Child might not have been completely happy about, but it was still pretty delicious. Worth more mention, though, was the goat cheese cheesecake with a cranberry chutney sauce. This was another decision inspired by, an "ahh, that sounds interesting. Let's taste that!" comment, but one that received four excited thumbs ups from all of us at the table.

It seems that the man in the toque behind those swinging kitchen doors knew exactly what we needed when he traded lavender fields for maple trees. Robert's Café Provence is a gem of a restaurant. Keep in mind the live jazz every Thursday night, wine tastings, and cooking and baking classes, when you make your way to Brandon for a little taste of France fabulous dining experience.